If you ask Nick Boltonfd, he's not thinking about it. But that hasn't stopped reporters from already asking him about a potential contract extension or future payday from multiple angles as the Kansas City Chiefs linebacker steps into his fourth season in the NFL.
Thanks to the NFL's collective bargaining agreement with the Player's Association, Bolton, like every rookie, started play in the league on a slotted rookie deal—a four-year contract with a preset amount based on his draft position that was handed to him without negotiations or input.
Chiefs linebacker Nick Bolton is stepping into his contract season in 2024.
After that fourth year, however—the contract year—Bolton is going to be free to sign with whoever he wants. And that means the Chiefs might be motivated to offer up a contract extension large enough to entice him to give up that financial freedom.
Earlier this week, Bolton took questions from reporters on the opening of the team's offseason training activities—a voluntary 10-week period in which players can report back to their home stadiums for workouts, drills, meetings, and the like. Phase 1 began on Monday for the Chiefs.
During his media session, Bolton was asked about his mindset coming into a contract year. He denied worrying about it and instead added, "I'm kinda just focused in on myself a little bit. I want to make myself a better athlete, a better football player." Bolton also mentioned feeling healthier than previous offseasons after dealing with hand and ankle injuries in the past.
That said, Bolton also stated his hopes for a potential contract when asked if he'd want to stay with the Chiefs. After also being in the region during his collegiate career at Missouri, he said he'd love to stay knowing this has been his home for so long.
"I’ve been in the state of Missouri going on seven years now so it definitely feels like home. The fans, the community, have been open arms since I got here as an 18-year-old," said Bolton.
"So yeah, staying here would be a blessing," he continued. "It’d be a dream come true if we could get that done in the foreseeable future. But yeah, I’m just trying to put my best foot forward and help our defense pick up where we left off last year and not regress and try to get better than we were last year."
The Chiefs watched Willie Gay Jr. leave in free agency but signed Drue Tranquill to a multi-year deal earlier this offseason, so it will be interesting to see how they play things with Bolton. Given how much Chiefs coaches love and trust him, it'd be a significant loss if the team couldn't figure out a way to keep him beyond the coming season.